As used herein, the term "recreational vehicle" is used broadly to refer to mobile homes, motor homes, travel trailers, fifth wheelers, recreational vans and the like. Air refrigeration and conditioning may be provided by a compressor/condenser/evaporator unit mounted internally or externally of such vehicles. The air conditioning unit for some recreational vehicles is mounted on the roof of the vehicle. An opening is made in the roof for delivering conditioned air from the evaporator coil of the air conditioner to the interior of the vehicle. Other recreational vehicles have a window mounted air conditioner unit or an internal floor mounted evaporator console with an external compressor/condenser.
The recreational van is a multiple purpose vehicle which is especially popular among couples and families with small children. It makes an excellent camping rig for weekends and short vacations. To overcome rising construction costs and fuel costs, the trend in van construction has been toward smaller van body sizes. Accordingly, the location and space for an air conditioning unit must be carefully planned and allocated in the construction of modern recreational vehicles.